Kevin Phillips, boosted by his first goal in 11 games, will continue to play through the pain barrier to help Sunderland make sure of First Division survival.

Wearside boss Peter Reid has paid tribute to the way the former England striker has insisted on playing, despite being troubled by ankle and stomach injuries. And the 28-year-old has revealed that when he finished Saturday's game at Charlton he was in a lot of discomfort.

Now Phillips is hoping that the two-week break before the final game of the season against relegated Derby County, when Sunderland must gain at least a point to ensure safety, will rid him of his aches and pains.

He said: "My ankle was fine but my stomach was really sore by the end of the game at Charlton and I was tired because I hadn't trained at all the week before the game.

"Now we have an extra week's break and hopefully it will give the injuries time to settle because it goes without saying that I want to play against Derby.

"But probably they won't heal completely until I have a longer rest.

"I understand the importance of this game for the club and I want to be involved - we want a final win."

Phillips' equaliser was his tenth Premiership goal of the season, a disappointing return from a player who won Europe's Golden Slipper award two years ago for his 30 top-flight strikes.

But he stressed: "I did get a goal at last at Charlton, but it's not about my scoring record now. It's about this club staying in the Premiership where it belongs and putting things right for next season.

"It was nice to get back on the score-sheet, but to be honest I wasn't too concerned during the run.

"Every striker in football at some point or another has a barren spell in front of goal and I always knew I'd get one sometime.

"Maybe the run is over now and hopefully I can have a good day against Derby and help Sunderland secure Premiership safety."

Phillips had just been substituted at The Valley when Charlton grabbed an 82nd minute equaliser to draw the game 2-2.

He admitted: "That could turn out to be an important point, but it felt a bit like a defeat.

"We were so close to being safe and everyone was disappointed we couldn't hang on and take the big pressure off the Derby game."

Phillips, however, has warned his teammates to take nothing for granted as third-bottom Ipswich Town, beaten at home by a controversial penalty awarded to Manchester United, travel to Liverpool knowing that only victory, coupled with a Sunderland defeat, will keep them up on goal difference.

He said: "The pressure is still on us. Ipswich have a massive task on their hands because they have to win at Liverpool.

"But they are a side capable of getting a big result so we can't rely on them losing.

"It might have been worse because I had a sneaking feeling that Ipswich might sneak a result against Manchester United, but thankfully they didn't."

He added: "We might have been sitting at home on Saturday night knowing we were safe, but it wasn't to be.

"Now we have to put that disappointment behind us and look forward to the Derby game."

Reid delayed a fitness decision on Phillips until just before the game at Charlton, but his leading goalscorer had insisted that he was fit enough to play.

Reid said: "He did us a favour going out against Charlton, but he was desperate to play and all credit to the lad.

"He has been struggling with ankle and stomach injuries for a few weeks now but he has shown a lot of character and that's what it is all about in these situations."

Reid is hoping that his £4.5m Brazilian central defender Emerson Thome, who has not played for four months after a second knee operation, could come into the reckoning against Derby.

He has come through two reserve team matches, while Argentinian winger Julio Arca also has a chance of being involved.

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